Bread for foreign convicts, dal for Indians

Of the 3,218 prisoners undergoing sentences at the Yerwada jail, 75 are from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Britain and Canada most doing terms under the Narcotics Act. “Foreign prisoners have been assigned a modified bread-egg diet in addition to dal and sabzi because they are not accustomed to chappatis; this diet is prescribed to all of them under doctor’s advice,” is the official reasoning.

The Maharashtra Jail Manual, an intimidating official document that extends over 11,00 pages, was drafted in 1956 and last revised in 1979. It catered for lesser numbers of prisoners, and hardly any women, apart from the lone dacoit or murder convict. If Indian convicts get raw deal in food, foreign convicts score badly in other field.

They get no remission of sentences because as per the Central Government Act, only Indian citizens can have their prison terms cut down for good behaviour and other criteria. So sentences that extend anywhere beyond 10 years for drug peddling remain the same for the foreign nationals while an Indian prisoner has his or her jail term decreased by 114 days every year.

The prisoners get no sweaters, irrespective of how cold the winter months get, once again because the manual makes no such provisions. “Convicts get woolens only on medical advice, or if the doctor feels someone is very old and cannot bear the cold. Otherwise, they are given cotton jackets to ward off the cold,” say the jail staffers. With city winter temperature dipping down to five degrees, the need for updating the manual is being felt even by officials, but obviously no such move is in the offing.

As per the manual, every eight months a prisoner should be given two shirts, one full pant, one half pant, topi and towel, while a female prisoner should be given two sarees, two petticoats, two blouses and a towel. Incidentally, the manual makes no provision for deployment of staff. Reportedly, out of 372 guards on duty, 30 positions are vacant due to shortage of staff and another five per cent are absent on leave.

Guards still do the routine patrolling with outdated 410 Musket rifles, in spite of more advanced gadgetry like sten guns, carbines, LMGs and revolvers being out in the market and freely in use by criminals.Officials admit that during an emergency like a jail break, this will possibly hamper operations. On the occupancy side, the prison is packed beyond its capacity. More than 3,000 prisoners are packed into the space meant for a maximum of 2,100 convicts. As a result, as many as 85 prisoners are adjusted in a barrack made for 60.

The shortage of staff is felt the most in escorting undertrials to court.It is common knowledge that hearings are often postponed due to non-availability of policemen to escort them to the courts. The obvious outcome is that trials stretch out to years, often much beyond what would have been in case of a conviction.